If the Feb. 28 trade deadline passes with the Bruins doing nothing more than the equivalent of adding a Steve Montador- or even Dennis Seidenberg-type defenseman, general manager Peter Chiarell should be prepared for crowds of people with pitchforks to show up at his office door.

Chiarelli today upped the ante for what fans of his club can expect at the trade deadline, as he told WEEI hosts Dale Arnold and Michael Holley that even Toronto’s first-round draft pick, which the team acquired in the Phil Kessel deal and has potential to be in the top five this June, is open to discussion in trade talks.

Last season, Chiarelli held firm to the notion that he wouldn’t trade last year’s Maple Leafs pick and he held onto it long enough to draft Tyler Seguin in Los Angeles.

“I’d look at it, sure. I’ve had discussions involving that pick. I certainly would look at it,” he told the show.

“There’s been one [trade offer] that we’ve thrown around internally,” he continued. “I don’t know if I would do it, but it’s something that warrants further discussion.”

Later in the day, Bruins President Cam Neely was a guest of Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti on 98.5 The Sports Hub. He continued to raise people’s expectations that there will be a superstar coming to Boston between now and the deadline.

“It’s something that we have to be open-minded,” said Neely about moving the Leafs pick. “The differences are where we were last year compared to where we are this year, what kind of room we have. Now we’re in a different scenario that we thought we would prior to Marc Savard getting injured an out for the year.

“We all feel we’re in a good position here to do something special, and it’s just a matter of what makes sense.

“Last year was a different scenario for us as a team, for Toronto as a team, for where there was a good chance we were going to pick. We’ve got to look at everything this year. … It might make sense for us to do that.”

By virtue of being printed in the Boston Globe, the Brad Richards trade talk has been dominating the airwaves. It’s unlikely, however, the Cup-contending Dallas Stars would make such a move. There are players on non-contending teams, however, that could be available as we near the deadline. Some have been discussed and some might even turn out to be a giant surprise. Could Columbus and Rick Nash decide they need to part ways? What about Erik Johnson and St. Louis? Could David Booth become available in Florida? Anything could happen, especially if the Bruins present a blockbuster combination of players, picks and prospects to get the player or players that will push them over the top.

Only two things are definite. First, Chiarelli needs help on defense and at center. He probably would prefer to shore up the back end, and Neely said that would be his preference as well.

Second, whoever comes to Boston between now and the deadline better knock the fan base’s socks off in a move that proves the Bruins are going for it all now. Or there’s going to be a March march of protest in Bruins Land.

For a club that wants to sustain a contender through a number of seasons, they can’t trade away high first round picks for rentals. This team has a great young core, and they’re very unlikely to draft this high again for (hopefully) the remainder of the decade.

The talk about getting a rental player to win the Cup is almost absurd. People seem to think that one player is the difference between the Cup and an early exit. But, it never actually works that way.

It takes a lot of luck, on top of talent, to bring home a Cup. If you’re trying to get INTO the playoffs, and the rental player can play 30+ games to get you that point or two that gets you in, then it’s worth it.

But when you’re in great playoff position (like the Bs) and only want to get deeper in the playoffs, it’s almost worthless.

We’ve seen time and time again that even the best teams rarely win the Cup.

Last year, we had #7 Philly v #8 in the EAST FINALS.

In ’09, #1 San Jose got knocked off in the FIRST ROUND by #8 Anaheim. We got knocked off in the second round by #6 Carolina.

The list goes on and on and on.

Lesson: even if we are the “best” team, we’re still going to need some good fortune to not get beat at least once in the four rounds of the playoffs.

Improving the team at the deadline is great. But, please, PLEASE, use some discretion and don’t trade Toronto’s pick unless it’s for a superstar who we have under control for a few years at low cost. Otherwise, it’s a complete waste.

Bruins fans, we need to be smarter than the other Boston fanbases (Pats and Sox fans in particular) and send Chiarelli and Neely the message that this isn’t OK.

Eric made some good points. Getting 2 possible top 5 picks back to back and still have playoff runs is unheard of. You have to go back to Sam Pollock to see that kind of wrangling. Sammy knew a thing or two about building teams. I’d consider it for a Doughty or Nash but few others.

Bogosian, while a nice piece for the future has been a repeated healthy scratch for Atlanta and has regressed in production each year since his first. Not sure he’s worth the TO 1st.

The only way I’m ok with that pick being moved is in a package for a superstar as suggested, who isn’t in the late stages of their career and someone with term that could be re-signed. Brent Burns, Keith Yandle, Brent Seabrook (to a lesser extent) are the D that jump to mind, love the idea of Rick Nash up front, but it would be franchise suicide for CBus.

I would trade that first for Bogosian and then get my mobile phone (i bet Chia has an Iphone) and would call Paul Kariya. I would say: Hey Paul how about a running at the playoffs?
But than, that´s just me!

Pretty sure Parise is coming back. I don’t think there is much to lose in trading the Bruins’ first rounder if it means getting a proven NHL veteran on either defense or offense that is near elite status. If that means putting Wheeler in the deal….thank god. The Bruins can surely find a better way to spend 2.2 million dollars

STOP TALKING ABOUT GETTING PARISE!!!! He’s injured and would be a waste of space for the bruins this year!!! I’m all for trading the Toronto pick if and only if we get a superstar under contract for several years in return. I think our chances at a cup run will be better next year than this year, though they could make a run this year. Late 1st round picks are also a very different thing than early ones. Note that we got Krejci, Bergey, and Lucic with SECOND round picks. And Stuart was a late 1st rounder.

unless its a legit star that we can get for a couple years (johnson, nash or parise) then dont do it.. who knows we might even move up a spot in the lottery and then we get a highly touted prospect on the cheap ! please no booth , who is just another concussion case or penner who is know for not putting in th effort game in and game out!

Keep Toronto’s pick, and move the B’s 1st round pick along with Wheeler, and get the best they can. Keep in mind Wheeler was the #6 overall pick in the draft, so just because your getting a 1st round pick, it doesn’t mean they’ll play to their 1st round expectations.

Bottom line, they need another puck moving/carrying d-man.
As soon as teams start throwing two attacking forecheckers out there, which is common in the playoffs and as we saw a bit on Saturday, this team, as is currently structured on the back, is fooked.

I agree the Bs may be more than a trade at the deadline away from winning the cup. I don’t agree with religiously holding onto draft picks. I would have to be blown away to trade the Tor pick. The Bruins’ pick, likely to be in the 22-30 range, is not nearly as valuable.

Peter: please don’t trade the pick…in fact please do not trade any more 1st round draft picks ever again…If you had kept the 15th pick from last year, you probably could have moved up (by trading a high 2nd round pick) to get Cam Fowler. Good GM’s DO NOT trade 1st round draft picks. Harry Sinden only traded away one 1st round pick in his entire tenure as B’s GM,…He traded for 5 1st round picks. Mike O’Connel on the other hand traded away 3 1st round picks. The picks that O’Connel traded away cost the Bruins the chance to get, either Robyn Regehr or Simon Gagne in 1998. It cost them the chance to get Mike Green in 2004, and it cost them the chance to get either Ryan Getzlaf or Zach Parise in 2003. It does not make sense to trade away a potential all star or even a franchise player just to go one more round deeper into the playoffs. If you trade one of the first round picks you will be showing us conclusively that all the Bruins want to do is make lots of money by going deep into the playoffs (without winning a Stanley cup) and have no interest in building a consistent Stanley Cup contender that will have a realistic chance at a cup for years. Real championship teams are built through the draft…as with the 1980’s NY Islanders, 1990’s (and current) Pittsburgh Penguins, and the current Washington Capitals…That is the way to build a championship team…not by trading for rent-a-players. You have a great chance to get a potential all star player with that Toronto pick. GOOD GM’S DO NOT TRADE AWAY 1ST ROUND DRAFT PICKS. If it means trading that pick to go one round deeper into the playoffs YOU SHOULD STAND PAT! Realistically the Bruins are 2-3 all star level players away from contending for the cup anyway. They need a puck moving D-Man, a goal scorer on the wing who can CONSISTENTLY score 40+ goals, and an all star level 1st line center which they may or may not have in Seguin. They are not going to be able to get all of those things by the trade deadline or by trading 1st round picks. So they should continue to build a team that will have a chance to contend for years.

If Toronto’s pick is in play it better be someone under contract – or a sign and trade for Richards. Nash or Parise would be amazing scores as well. God – I’d love to see a Nash in black and gold.

But I think I’m more conservative than most – I like the idea of trying to pluck Penner or someone below the top tier. The idea of moving Toronto’s pick bothers me with Larsson out there waiting – then again – those damned leafs keep winning lately.

I agree with those who want to keep the pick, especially if they choose to go for a short term rental or a guy who will eat up precious cap space.

I hope that Neely and Chiarelli don’t get too overzealous with a one-year pursuit of the Cup. Getting to the playoffs is the biggest part. Once you’re there, you never know if the guy you traded for will make a big splash or have a huge slump. If he has a huge slump, you have just wasted years from a key player.

The other point of contention for me is that Neely and Chiarelli keep suggesting that the offense is in dire straits now that Savard is gone. I hate to be so negative about Savvy (he really doesn’t deserve the criticism, having been handed an impossible situation), but the Bruins offense will improve by subbing in any of Wheeler, Seguin, Hamill, or Campbell — and the offense was already ranked 6th in the league anyway.

I’m in the camp that we need a puck moving defenseman. It could help on the power play and make it so we don’t get into these nights where we can’t advance the puck through the neutral zone. We’ve got a nice bruising style on the boards, but if you can’t control the puck in the offensive zone entry, you’re offense is going to sputter. A defenseman with some vision would help.

Hold the pick unless you get a guy we can control for a few years at a reasonable price.

And I can’t believe Neely and Chiarelli keep going on WBZ and WEEI. Those stations know nothing about hockey and the Bruins organization deserves better coverage.

I gotta hand it to Felger and Mazz, though. Pretty gutsy having the team President on the phone when you can’t even pronounce “Seguin” and think that Kaberle alone is worth Toronto’s 1st rounder. Maybe they’ll bring up character and the locker room again to cover for knowing nothing about hockey. Wait, don’t they do that with other sports too?

I say the guy to get is Edmonton’s Dustin Penner. He’s a big, tough winger who can really score, and he’s a solid locker room guy as well. Get him and leave Wheeler at Center for the 3rd line, and with Penner (LW) and Ryder (RW).
Penner’s salary (4.25M) matches up almost perfectly with Savard’s (4M), and you could likely get him for Boston’s 1st Round pick and a decent prospect or two (Hamill, Bartkowski, etc.) . Edmonton is out of it, and looking to more youth for the future.
Penner, who is 28, has 1 more year on his deal after this, so he fits perfectly next year as well, even if Savard comes back healthy, as Ryder’s 4M is off the books and he is unlikely to be re-signed.

[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Matt Kalman and BostonSports93, tiff★ny. tiff★ny said: WE WANT SCHENN!!!! RT @TheBruinsBlog With just one radio comment, Chiarelli raises the trade stakes http://bit.ly/giNSTt […]

I’m looking forward to the BIG SPLASH! The morning I click on this BLOG and…BAM!! David Booth would look real good flying around in black and gold. P.C. needs to do what he needs to do, but I would be disappointed to lose the Leafs 1st rounder. Could become the elusive puck-moving defensemen of the B’s future.